


Love At All

by EmVP



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: ALSO! Ruby uses she AND they pronouns, Abuse, Anxiety Attacks, Depression, F/F, Fighting, It's mostly ruby and sapphire, Suggestion of abuse, bc shes based off rebecca sugar, but i like to be on the safe side, injuries - not MAJOR depictions of violence, mental health
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:21:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 13,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23366875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmVP/pseuds/EmVP
Summary: AU where Sapphire owns and operates a non-profit shelter for battered women and other social minorities. A guest with dark red curly hair comes in one night with bruised wrists and bloody hands. And then, they keep coming back, until Sapphire finally hires them. My notes on this are extensive so be prepared for backstory.
Relationships: Bismuth/Pearl (Steven Universe), Lapis Lazuli/Peridot (Steven Universe), Pearl/Rose Quartz (Steven Universe), Ruby/Sapphire (Steven Universe)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 23





	1. Prologue

It was storming outside, Sapphire noticed vaguely. After reading her fair share of romanticism, she stopped fearing terrible things happening when the skies turned grey. It was a plot device from centuries ago that had been ingrained in her as a child; but now that she was grown, she knew better. Worse things had happened on nights when she swore she could see every galaxy.

She ran her fingers through her bangs before closing the file cabinet. Now, her only tasks were to finish reading these papers, to play monitor, and to wait until morning came.

The stillness permeated everything, and the woman reveled in it. This was the most quiet and relaxing the days ever were, here at the shelter. This was the perfect time to just breathe.

A knock on the glass door interrupted this revelry.

Sapphire stood and glanced through the glass. When she noted the form of a young lady outside, she rushed to let her in, the lost stillness forgotten.

“Hey,” the girl’s gravelly voice greeted cautiously. Her hair was drenched, but even still, Sapphire could tell it was naturally buoyant. “I’m sorry, I wouldn’t normally come, but..” Her dark face flushed even darker. “My hands– I couldn’t… Fix it myself.” Sapphire’s eye left the gash on the girl’s cheek and fell to bruised wrists and bloody palms.

“Come inside,” Sapphire greeted gently, holding the door open for the stranger to walk through. Sapphire glanced outside either way before relocking the doors. “Follow me, please.” The injured woman followed obediently, her brown eyes focused on the heels of Sapphire’s shoes.

Sapphire led the newcomer to an empty examination room. At night, doctors were solely on call here, but being the owner of the shelter, Sapphire was well versed in first aid. All the same, she couldn’t think of any incident where she was without help when trying to help another. Pushing this aside, she recalled her own training dutifully, and invited the guest up onto the small table.

“I really am sorry,” the stranger mumbled, watching Sapphire retrieve a collection of glass jars. They looked more like a southerner’s drinking glass than something to carry medical supplies, but the entire room was more sterile than anything the darker woman had seen in her life. “I know I shouldn’t be wasting your time, with all the other gir-”

“The other ladies are asleep,” Sapphire interrupted, bringing along cotton balls and alcohol. “And you are just as important as they are,” From under her long silvery bangs, Sapphire noticed a few tears creeping from the girl’s eyelids.

“Thanks,” she sniffed, wincing at the sting the alcohol brought to her palms. There was an odd silence that followed as Sapphire bandaged hands and the gash on the girl’s cheek. The lawyer stepped back to look at her work, almost smiling at her success.

“Thank you,” the patient sighed in relief, relaxing slightly.

The guest could just barely see a blue eye peeking from under those pale bangs. Her entire focus rested on it, and the blue eye examined her entirely in return. There was a moment of perfect understanding, they both acknowledged to themselves: She’s never done this before. She knows as little about this as I do.

The guest’s mind flitted away from the moment of unexpected intimacy, and she broke the quiet, comprehending stillness. “I, I have to get going. I gotta be back by three.”

“You would be safe here,” Sapphire commented, helping the woman down. Another moment of understanding, of rules the guest had no say in, of security Sapphire offered so hopefully. “You would be safer here.”

“I,” the woman shook her head, her curly hair following suit. “No, it’s not what you think. And I really do need to get back.”

Once again, Sapphire comprehended how little she knew. But she knew that this person understood Sapphire’s purpose: that Sapphire only wanted to help; but that she could not, nor would, do anything without the guest’s expressed permission. They knew too little for more than this gentle respect of their ignorance of one another.

“I can’t stop you,” Sapphire answered, followed by a gentle pause. “But you can come back, anytime. I would like to see how that cut heals.” They had come to Sapphire’s desk, from which Sapphire grabbed a few pamphlets. “I’m always here, and you’re always welcome here.”

Sapphire handed the leaflets to the guest, who frowned at the titles: Abuse and How to Handle It, Signs Of Abusive Relationships, Moving Out. She kept her gaze down and mumbled to herself, “it’s not like that.”

As intended, Sapphire didn’t hear her. “Now, may I have your name?“

"Um,” the curly haired person stuttered for a moment. “No, I’d – no – is that okay?”

“It’s fine,” Sapphire offered a small calming smile. “You’ll be a Jane Doe. Don’t worry.”

The bruised woman breathed a sigh of relief. “I, uh, owe you one. Thanks.”

“Anytime,” Sapphire nodded, leading the her to the door. “Be safe getting home. Please, if you need anything, we’re always here.”

“Thanks,” the stranger smiled. Desperate to get home, the patient pulled up her hood, wordlessly braved the rain again, and jogged out of sight.

Something in her gut told Sapphire she would be seeing that person again. The thought was terrible, yet somehow Sapphire anticipated the night they might cross paths again.

She didn’t realize it would be so soon.


	2. A Donation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guest returns and a donation arrives at the shelter.

It was only a few days later when they met again. The sky, this time, was clear. The curly haired person knocked gently on the glass door as it, again, neared midnight.  
“Hello, again,” Sapphire greeted in her calm way, welcoming her in. She took note of a black eye— she couldn’t patch that up like she had the scrapes.  
“Hey. I’m sorry to bother you again, but you said I should stop by again, and I took it to heart-”  
“As you should have,” Sapphire smiled and led the woman to the same small doctors office. “May I see how your hands are?”  
The guest immediately nodded and offered her palms to the lawyer. Her hands were certainly cleaner, though there were some open wounds beneath the bandages. “They look better. You should have rested them more though.”  
“It isn’t bad,” the guest offered. “I just work with them a lot. Blisters happen.” Sapphire nodded and rewrapped them carefully. “Would you like to take the bandage off your cheek or would you prefer that I do it?”  
“Yeah, I can,” The dark-skinned woman mumbled before ripping the bandage from her face with a small grunt.  
“That looks better too.”  
“It is. Thank you, again, by the way.”  
“It’s my job,” Sapphire smiled slightly, “don’t worry about it.” The owner took a slow breath as she went to grab frozen peas for her guest’s black eye.  
Sapphire smiled to comfort; that was all. It could hurt her face to smile so much, since her normal expression was often stoic.  
It was the opposite with the bruised woman. It didn’t seem to fit that the guest’s expression was plain. Her face was more becoming of a smile, or at least a cheeky grin, though Sapphire hadn’t imagined what it might appear like for her to wear one.  
“Does that help?” Sapphire asked when she greeted the bag of frozen vegetables with a sigh.  
“You’ve got no idea,” she relaxed, her spare hand mussing her own curly hair. “Thank you so much.”  
“Anytime. If you need anything, please remember that you’re always welcome here.” The visitor nodded and shrugged, following Sapphire to the foyer. “If it helps at all, you can always ask for Sapphire. If I’m not here, I’m only a few minutes away.”  
“Thank you, Sapphire, it means a lot,” the woman tried out the name. “I will, next time I need to.”  
At this, Sapphire smile was far less forced. “You keep those peas. And be careful.”  
“I will.”  
—  
“Sapphire,” Pearl, a receptionist working on her psychology degree, radioed the lawyer. “There’s an envelope here addressed to you.”  
Sapphire, used to bills and other mail being addressed directly to her, answered that she’d be down when she was done. She returned to the guest she had been speaking too. “I appreciate you waiting on that. Now, back what you were telling me, Miss Lazuli?”  
The taller woman nodded, “I just can’t stop thinking about it – I was locked away from the real world for years, Sapphire. It consumed everything I am.”  
“You are more than your that, Lapis, I promise you. But I know that doesn’t change how you’re feeling right now.”  
“Everything just happened so fast. As soon as I was free, I, I was with her.”  
“Does that unsettle you?” Sapphire questioned carefully, knowing that Lapis preferred her company to the therapist.  
Sapphire wasn’t a psychologist, but she had more than enough experience in how to talk with the women at the shelter. She did run it, after all: the manager of her own women’s shelter, only answering to the benefactors and donors.  
Despite her trade, she chose to be a friend with a listening ear and a shoulder to lean on, rather than mere council. She charged nothing for her appointments and time, discussed with the police if requested, and had even testified on a number of occasions. It was a wonder she ever had any of her very limited free time at all.  
Lapis had only been living with them for a month, but the new resident had taken a quiet liking to the lawyer-by-trade. Lapis wondered sometimes if they would mesh so well, once she discovered herself, whom she had never gotten to truly meet. But even if they didn’t mesh well, Lapis was under the impression that she and Sapphire would remain friends as she healed.  
They talked for the rest of the hour.  
—  
“Sapphire!” Pearl called out, as Sapphire made her way through the foyer. “The mail.”  
“Oh, right,” Sapphire muttered and gratefully received the stack of papers. “Thank you very much, Pearl.” Pearl smiled proudly and continued with her typical assignments of filing and offering quick diagnoses.  
Sapphire sat and opened the letter, which was addressed in sloppy handwriting, rather than the usual black sans font. There was no return address, but the envelope was thin enough to be safe.  
Miss Sapphire,  
Thanks again. Won these last night. Thought if there was any luck in them, you guys deserve it.  
P.S. Guy I won them from said they were from Motomart.  
There was no signature, but three scratch-off lottery cards included in the envelope. Sapphire raised an eyebrow and chuckled at the odd donation.  
“What is it?” Pearl asked, looking up at the rarity that was Sapphire’s laugh.  
“Pearl, do you have a coin?” Sapphire smiled, giggling again as she held up the cards, “we received an anonymous donation.”  
Pearl raised a brow at the sight of the lottery tickets, but dug a penny out of her desk quickly.  
“An anonymous donation of… Drumroll, please, Pearl,” Sapphire giggled, unable to stop herself from being uncharacteristically goofy.  
She hadn’t slept well last night, she reasoned to herself, and this had caught her off guard.  
She scratched off the first, row by row. “… Of five dollars.” The second, “nothing, and…” The third, “fifty-two dollars. For a total donation of fifty-seven U.S. Dollars, redeemable anywhere Cash Case Cards are sold!” Sapphire glanced at the note again. “… More specifically, redeemable at Motomart!” Sapphire interrupted herself with another fit of giggles.  
Finally, the lawyer cleared her throat. “Pearl, on your lunch break, would you like to cash these in? You can take the seven for the gas.”  
“Sure, Sapphire,” Pearl humored her.  
“Thank you,” Sapphire returned to her subtle smile, as she typically did, before making her way to her other tasks.


	3. Amethyst

They had first met Amethyst when she was in kindergarten. Her mother had come in with the little girl, both of them bruised and a little shaken. Sapphire soon learned that pride had brought the mother here. She just couldn’t return to her own family, whom she hadn’t spoken with since her marriage.  
Sapphire also soon learned that there were some children for whom enthusiasm didn’t run out. One of those children was Amethyst. At the time, the little one had still believed in the power of good over evil, the power of a penny in a fountain, the power of superheroes, and the power of tickles.  
Rose, a decade younger, was quite taken with her.  
Amethyst, less than a decade old, wanted to be like Rose when she grew up. Rose had quickly fallen in love with the idea of being so looked up to, and took her time to be the best role model possible. Games of tag, hide and seek, and explanations of every subtitle in the woman’s old college biology books filled both with glee.  
And then, Amethyst and her mother went back to him.  
One had made the choice. The other had no other choice.  
The next time they saw Amethyst was a year or so ago, when the girl was fourteen. Fed up with her father’s temper and her mother’s recently developed disposition, she had sought out the home again. Of course, Sapphire immediately called the Child Protective Services, and they had all attended to the adolescent.  
Rose took her in with open arms.  
Amethyst took in everything with arms crossed in front of her chest. It wasn’t that the teenager rebelled against the guidance of the women at the home. But as wild as she was, she seemed like a rock emotionally, and took too many precautions to even wish to speak with a counsellor, as Rose had suggested.  
The contrast between past and present broke Sapphire’s heart. While they couldn’t have known, Sapphire blamed herself. Rose wanted desperately to be a maternal figure in the teenager’s life– or for the girl to have a maternal figure at all. Amethyst disagreed on every turn.  
“Maybe,” Rose once confided in Sapphire, “if she hadn’t ever had parents to start with, Amethyst would be more willing to have a parent again at all.”  
“With the doc,” Amethyst once mentioned to Sapphire, “I don’t feel worthless.” But that wasn’t enough, it seemed.  
Only a month later, Amethyst’s mother had found her, and brought in a document declaring their home and their family fit to raised children.  
“Borderline,” Pearl muttered when after only one exchange with her mother, Amethyst, guilty tears in her eyes, followed her to the car. Her mother seemed almost smug, with tear stained cheeks but an angry countenance. “And she has no intention, clearly, of fighting it. How else could she have gotten the okay from the CPS?”  
—  
Today, Rose had another run-in with the girl.  
“My parents didn’t do it,” Amethyst defended harshly as Rose took inventory of all of the teenager’s scratches and bruises. “I just need like two bandaids and I’ll be out of your hair,” anger warbled her voice, and Rose sighed.  
“Why would you come here if your parents didn’t do it?”  
“Cause I ran outta bandaids and you guys won’t charge the hell out of me when I leave!” Amethyst shouted, and her arms once again were folded in front of her.  
There was a heavy pause as Rose stared at the teen, trying to judge her words. “Can you tell me how you got these, Amethyst? Please?”  
Amethyst’s eyes dropped as something overwhelmingly familiar struck her. She felt cared about. Like she had as a child. And she felt guilty. Like she did every day. But being guilty here didn’t seem dangerous or wrong. No, her guilt didn’t call for belittlement. Rose’s soft expression called only for honesty.  
“I fight, okay?” Rose’s eyes widened at the idea. “There’s an underground wrestling league downtown, and I fight there.”  
“Why?” Rose asked slowly, taking advantage of the teen’s sudden drive to honesty.  
“Because I can take a hit and I want the money!” Amethyst exclaimed, and sighed when her anger left her.  
“It’s a girl’s wrestling league? Amethyst, is this,” Rose swallowed fearfully, “sexual in nature?”  
“No!” Amethyst’s voice raised a decibel more. “It’s a guys’ league. But me and some other people do it– dress up like guys to get a quick buck and let out some frustration. We look out for each other – girls helping girls or whatever. But I went in on Tuesday, when my double had work. So, she wasn’t there to help patch me up. That’s all.”  
“You’re so much bett-”  
“Don’t,” Amethyst warned before turning her gaze down again. “Don’t feed me that.”  
Rose went another route: “It’s child abuse, you kn-”  
“No. It’s not. It’s yours truly, a twenty-three year old dude called the Purple Puma, kicking ass and taking names. He doesn’t get more than a few scratches when he trips a little. There’s no children — and no women in the league. It’s. Legal.”  
“Why do you need the money so bad?” Rose asked, offering Amethyst a box of Crying Breakfast Friends Bandaids.  
“I don’t need those dumb cartoon characters, okay,” Amethyst murmured, lightly pushing the box back to Rose. “I’m…” Amethyst looked up, her gaze caught in Rose’s, and that familiar feeling returned. “I don’t do it all for the cash. Sometimes the stuff I get isn’t even cash– they do stupid stuff sometimes. But I need somewhere where I can take out my energy. I get mad, and I hate it, and this helps without getting me in any trouble. It’s– It’s a sport, it’s – what’s the word? Cathedric?”  
“Cathartic,” Rose breathed. “Stuff is bad at home again?”  
Amethyst nodded, shrugging. “It’s never been good.”  
“I– Amethyst,” Rose stumbled over her words for a moment, catching Amethyst off-guard. Rose was always poised. “I have a boyfriend, now.”  
“And..?” Amethyst’s brow raised. Her heart thumped for a moment, knowing how dangerous anyone you were close to could be, guy or not.  
“A serious boyfriend. He’s a good, gentle guy. He’s never said anything; but the way I feel about him– it makes me want children.” Amethyst ’s eyes grew two sizes, glancing to the doctor’s stomach and back. “We haven’t been trying. I don’t want to even bring it up until he does, when he feels ready. But, it’s just been reminding me– the only time I ever wanted a child, before, was when I was taking care of you.” The pink-haired woman sighed. “I want to support you with this.”  
“You wanna..?”  
“I want to watch you do your sport… I bet you’re great at it. And I can always patch you up, then, too.”  
“That would,” Amethyst paused lightly, “that would be really cool of you. Thank you.”  
Rose offered the child a smile and a hug, both of which were lightly returned. “Just, tell me when it’s a good time for me to come. I’ll be there. Until then, visit whenever you want.”  
“I,” Amethyst smiled softly into the embrace. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”


	4. Visit

“Miss, this looks deep,” Sapphire noted, examining the cut at the red-headed’s hairline, “deep enough to need stitches.”  
“N-no,” the curly-haired woman tuttered quickly, “no, that’s okay. Don’t need that.” She hadn’t seen the lawyer in a few weeks, and very quickly, she was regretting her decision to return to the shelter.  
“I can’t, in good conscience, leave it be without it, at least, being looked at by our Doctor.”  
“Sapphire– I can’t g-” she paused a moment. “You’re not a doctor?”  
Sapphire raised a brow, although it couldn’t be seen behind her bangs. “No. Which is why I need to call Rose to look at it,” Sapphire DuFroid explained casually. The visitor breathed deep, glancing at the ground. "Now, what were you saying you can’t do?” Sapphire asked.  
The guest’s gaze turned up, meeting Sapphire’s once more. “I can’t go home looking like anything happened more than me taking care of stuff on my own. And — and I can’t stitch my own forehead, Sapphire.”  
“We’ll see what Rose can do other than that, then,” Sapphire returned, grabbing her radio. The red-headed reached out and lightly let her hand stop Sapphire from making the call.  
“I,” the woman’s gravelly voice began, “I don’t want anyone to, y'know… Know.”  
Sapphire’s gaze turned soft behind her artificially-silver hair. “Rose keeps everything she knows held in the strictest confidence. There are things she knows about our guests here that even I don’t know. It’ll be safe.” The patient held her gaze, frightened clearly. “Miss, if you really don’t want me to call, I won’t. But this is the best thing that we could do, for both of us. I don’t want to hurt you accidentally just because I only have first aid training… Please, let me help you.” The guest, hesitantly, nodded her assent. “Thank you,” Sapphire sighed in relief, and turned to dial.  
-  
“Oh my stars, that does look bad,” Rose muttered, tearing up slightly when the dark woman winced away from her gentle touch. “And we can’t stitch it?”  
“No.” Sapphire replied, tilting the guest’s chin up so she, too, could better examine it. “Nothing that would look like anything but basic first aid.”  
Rose hummed and glanced away for a moment. She finally decided to merely switch subjects, until she could come up with a solution. “Here, follow this light with your eyes for a moment,” Rose mumbled, turning on her phone’s flashlight. After a few seconds and a few questions, she put it down. “That’s definitely a concussion. It’s a wonder you’re still conscious.”  
“Sorry,” the person muttered, her tone more defensive and angry than apologetic.  
“Maybe we should just clean it up properly for now, and work out more long-term healing solutions later,” Sapphire tried, noticing that the guest was getting fed up. Rose looked to Sapphire before briefly nodding.  
“Alright,” the doctor decided, although she still appeared to be thinking. “I’ll get the antibiotics.”  
“Miss,” Sapphire asked after Rose made her exit. “Are you okay?”  
The guest’s eyes had filled with tears. Her voice wobbled though her tone was angry, “I just want it to be over with, Sapphire. I just want a bandaid and to go home and go to bed. I just wanted a twenty-minute-tops trip.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest defensively.  
“That isn’t a twenty-minute-tops injury,” Sapphire replied, and offered the guest her hand. “And I know you don’t think it is, either.”  
The patient paused, examining the lawyer’s offered affection. With a short shake of her head, she turned it down. “M'sorry,” she muttered, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand.  
“Miss, you,” Sapphire began slowly, “you should leave him. We could take care of that gash properly, give you a nice warm bed. We’d keep you safer here. I promise.”  
“It’s not like you think,” the guest insisted again, her voice straying from anger and sadness, and growing more desperate. “It’s really not.”  
At this, Rose made her reappearance, and announced the antibiotics she had brought with her, should the guest be allergic.  
“Squeeze as bad as it hurts,” Sapphire quietly offered her hand again when Rose decided upon rubbing alcohol.  
Seeing this offer as less affectionate than purposeless contact, the guest begrudgingly accepted. Sapphire was only slightly surprised that the guest’s grip was so strong. It very quickly loosened as more tears welled in the dark woman’s eyes. “Sorry. Don’t wanna hurt you.”  
“It’s all okay.” Sapphire wanted to distract her by making conversation. She grappled for a subject, but the guest beat her to the punch.  
“What do you do, like, for your job? You said you’re not a doctor?”  
“Oh! Lawyer by trade,” Sapphire smiled. “Right now, I just run the home and work their cases.”  
“You must be crazy smart,” the curly-haired woman breathed, her eyes going wide. “That’s so cool.”  
“Thank you,” Sapphire nodded, and thanked whatever God there was for the opportunity to learn more about the guest. “And yourself?”  
“Right now? I’m a bagger, and a coach,” they muttered.  
“What kind of coach?”  
“Baseball,” she said, sighing. “Hardly count it a real job, though. It’s just extra.”  
“Is it for a school?”  
“Yeah. The, u, fellas- or, uh, boys league at the high school downtown.”  
“Is that where you went?”  
“Uh, BC district, uh-huh.”  
“Did you play softball in school?” Sapphire asked, noticing that the patient’s speech was gradually growing slower and more slurred.  
“I spent more time playin’ softball and baseball than I actu’ly spent in school. Like, hour-wise.”  
“Impressive,” Sapphire conceded, daring to shoot Rose a questioning look. Rose saw from the corner of her eye and shook her head. That cut didn’t come from a baseball bat, at least so far as the doctor could tell. The concussion, though, was anyone’s guess. Sapphire hummed, her eyes falling to the woman’s hands. "Have you been resting your hands more?” Sapphire asked, “or at least caring for them a little more?”  
“Eh,” they shrugged, showing her spare hand as well. “I use my hands too much to wear lotions or bandaids. I do wear gloves, an’ keep ‘em wrapped when I’m working, though.”  
“Is it all from baseball?”  
“Well. Liftin’s what’s messed them up so bad. But I’ve done waitr’sin’ before and things like that, and gotten some burns like tha’. Been a sort of handyman for hire, whenever, er, during the off season, you can cut them up like that pretty easy.” The curly-haired woman paused as she felt Rose step back. “Is’t all done?”  
“It’s as good as it can be right now,” Rose smiled and held out her hand for the person to shake. The guest obliged her, relief spelled clearly on her face.  
“Thanks,” the woman sighed, and after a few more pleasantries and a warning to be careful, Rose was gone, wiping at her face as she left.  
“Miss,” Sapphire began as she helped the woman down.  
“Whoa,” the guest interrupted, swaying slightly when her feet hit the floor. “Sorry. Vertigo. What – what is it?”  
“I don’t think it’s safe for you to go home right now.”  
“I have to,” they shouted out in indignation, before wincing at her own volume. “I have to.”  
“Whether you have to or not, I think it would be best for you to stay here for a little while,” Sapphire watched as the guest tried and failed to walk a few steps without leaning on the wall, “and I think you see that I’m right.”  
“I, I…” The woman’s eyes fell as she considered it. “I need t’call a friend.”  
“You won’t be telling him where you a-”  
“I just need to ask Peri to cover for me, so tomorrow I can say I was at – at her place,” the woman explained, slowly following Sapphire to the lobby once again. “Tha’s all.”  
“Alright,” Sapphire breathed, grabbing the old landline off the receiver and handing it to the guest. She nodded slowly and struggled to read what she dialed.  
“Peri,” they greeted into the phone.  
Sapphire knew better than to betray this person’s privacy, but with their close proximity, she couldn’t help but listen in.  
“Hey, I’m at your place tonight if anyone asks, ‘kay? … Why? I, uh, I got into and out of some trouble tonight… No, you don’t need to get me. I’m staying with someone else and I don’t want- … No, they aren’t gonna ask anything like that of me for staying the – for staying the night, I promise… Don’t be like that. It’s compli— complicated. And y’live two hours away anyways… It’s not, it’s not that I– hey, you’re the clod, alright. So shut it.”  
Sapphire’s interest was piqued at the fiery familiarity the guest seemed to share with whoever this Peri was. “Look, I’m okay,” the guest reiterated, “I’m just not going home tonight, you know how– yeah. So, please… Thanks. Yeah. I’ll visit soon.”  
“Is everything alright?” Sapphire asked amicably as the phone was returned to the receiver.  
“Yeah. Thank you.” The red-headed offered a smile and Sapphire’s heart softened once more.  
“Let me show you to your room,” Sapphire quietly announced, and led the guest down the western corridor to an empty room. “Here you are.”  
“Uh, yeah. Thanks,” the woman muttered glancing around the room. Her gaze met Sapphire’s once again. “I, uh, I think I’ll tuck in, then. See you in the morning.”  
“Actually,” Sapphire began, pushing the door so only a crack remained. “I was going to be staying with you tonight.”  
“Wh- wait, what?” The lady gasped, and Sapphire cursed her thoughtlessness.  
“No, I,” Sapphire reopened the door completely and the guest’s mind seemed to ease. “I apologize. That was careless of me. All I meant was that you have a concussion, and I should monitor you just in case, tonight.”  
“No, that’s okay,” they definitively interrupted. “You don’t have to stay in here. At all.”  
“Would you prefer that I don’t?” Sapphire asked, and was answered with a firm nod of their curly head. “You’ll feel okay alone?”  
“I’ll be peachy-perfect.”  
“… Alright,” Sapphire replied, unconvinced. “I’ll be in the lobby, so, you’ll call for me or come and get me if you need anything. Won’t you?”  
Slowly, the red-clad guest relinquished her assent with a nod, and bid the lawyer goodnight. As Sapphire made her way to her temporary bed, she wondered who this Peri was, and if they had anything to do with the curly-haired person’s unease.  
Sapphire didn’t sleep that night.  
“Yeah, I promise. The fewer people who know where I am, the better… Okay, thanks. Meet me after practice, then.” They hung up the phone once more, and turned her attention to the breakfast that sat on the front desk for her.  
“May I ask. Is Peri the man respon-” Sapphire observed from her seat on the opposite side of the desk.  
“What?” Ruby recoiled, instantly defensive, “Peri’s not a guy. It’s Peri with an I. She’s my friend, my cousin, and she wouldn’t touch a hair on my head.”  
"Oh, God, I’m sorry for assuming. From what I’d gathered, she seemed really … protective.”  
“Peri can just be.. Wouldn’t go so far as to call her chicken, but you know what I mean. She worries.”  
“I understand how that can be,” Sapphire shrugged slightly, nodding her head. “When do you need to leave?”  
“Practice doesn’t start until two,” the guest answered, glancing to the clock on the wall beside her.  
“Then, there’s time for Rose to check you over again,” Sapphire grinned. “I’ve got a little work to do myself, but I’ll check on you before you leave.”  
“No, uh, that’s okay. It’s already ten, and I want to stop home and get my uniform.”  
“Can Rose check you first?”  
“Nah, I really oughta get home.” The woman paused a moment before offering Sapphire her hand. As they exchanged a handshake, the guest offered a little smile. “Thank y’very much for everything.”  
“My pleasure,” Sapphire smiled in return. “Hopefully the next time we see each other will be in better circumstances.” The curly-haired lady nodded and began to take her leave, when Sapphire’s voice stopped her once more.  
“Miss! Please, come in anytime. Not just if you need it. Just, anytime you want.” Sapphire knew it was a risk, but it was well calculated, she believed. The woman clearly needed someplace – somebody — nearby that cared.  
After a moment, the guest nodded, and left in a better state than she had come in, the previous evening. In turn, Sapphire went the opposite way, deeper into the shelter, to meet with Lapis and a few new clients


	5. Greg

Sapphire tapped her fingers happily at the steering wheel as she returned to the home. She glanced in her rear view mirror, adjusting it to see the empty five-gallon bucket sitting in the back seat. She couldn’t help but laugh outright at its presence, and her smile stayed put as she looked to the passenger seat. There were only a few tens sitting there now, along with the unidentifiable letter that had accompanied the donation.

Miss Sapphire

Thanks. Did a fundraiser this time.

There was no return address, no signature: the messy scribbles looked like that on the lottery cards they had received.

The five gallon bucket, which had been filled entirely with pennies when it was left by the door with this note, was nearly as humorous as the scratch cards. So, again, Sapphire couldn’t help but giggling as she turned into the home.

“Have fun?” Rose asked when Sapphire returned an hour or so later. Pearl was leaning forward in her chair, looking very pleased with herself— she had been left in charge while Sapphire had visited the bank.

“Yes,” Sapphire continued to giggle lightly, the bills from the passenger seat now folded neatly in her hand.

“How much was it?” Pearl asked, standing up and coming from around her desk.

“Three hundred and nine,” Sapphire answered. When the other two’s eyes went wide, Sapphire laughed again. “This is just sixty of it. The rest is in the bank.”

“Oh?” Pearl questioned, a thin brow raised.

“Yes. I just finished paying the bills two days ago. And with all the work you two have been putting in, I felt that a small bonus would be nice,” she quickly shuffled through the bills, counting thirty each. “It’s not a lot. But it could get you dinner someplace nice, I’d imagine. Or half a tank of gas.” She shrugged. “That and an evening off – and off-call seemed respectable.”

“Off call?” Rose’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “Are you sure?’

"I have a favor to cash in at Beach General if an emergency arises,” Sapphire smiled. “So, yes, tonight you’re off-call, and you,” she nodded to Pearl, “are off the clock. So, go have fun.”

—

“Do you think other people can tell?”

“How would they be able to?” Sapphire questioned genuinely that night. It had been nearly a month since she had seen the red-headed person. It was late in the evening, most of her work had been completed for the day. Even if it hadn’t been, recently, Sapphire felt her talks with Lapis growing more needed, as an old anniversary arose for the taller woman. Aside from that, Lapis seemed to be opening up more and more, daily, and Sapphire was fond of her and their discussions, despite the sensitive topics.

“Animals can smell fear, I guess. People are intuitive. I know I don’t always act, you know, normal. I just, sometimes I feel like the poster child for someone who’s,” Lapis sighed, her eyes falling. “… You know.”

“I would never ever in a million years consider you the stereotype for someone who’s been kidnapped or abused. You may feel you’re struggling, but you are far more hard on yourself than anyone else is.”

Lapis nodded, absent for a moment. “That’s true, I guess.”

“Sapphire,” Pearl knocked on the door with her elbow, struggling to do much else as she fiddled with her skinny jeans.

“Aren’t you supposed to be gone?” Lapis asked, innocent despite her harsh monotone.

“I’ll be leaving in a minute,” Pearl countered, then returned her attention to her boss. “I just wanted you to know that everything’s locked up.”

“Thank you,” Sapphire laughed quietly. “Now, go enjoy yourself, Pearl. Everything will be fine here.”

“If you’re sure,” Pearl muttered in reply. Her eyes reached Sapphire’s, breaking through the ice for a moment of desperation. At this, Sapphire stood and excused herself to Lapis, before pulling Pearl into the hall.

“I know it’s hard,” Sapphire began, her hand on Pearl’s shoulder. “But you really should try to enjoy yourself.”

“She’s bringing him,” Pearl sighed, her eyes turning away. “We’re going to a play and she’s bringing him.”

“You’re going to a musical and she’s bringing her musician boyfriend,” Sapphire gently replied, “and her very best friend.” Pearl’s frown deepened and Sapphire tried to rework her reasoning. “I know you are scared for her, as anyone would be. But it isn’t fair to impose our fears on her. And from what I’ve seen, Greg is a good man.”

“I’m not one of your patients, Sapphire! I’m not afraid of men,” Pearl whispered viciously.

“Not the way that w– that the other women here are. But you are afraid of them, especially in concern to her,” Sapphire retorted, an icy frustration rising in her, but was quickly extinguished by her better sense.

So a thick silence settled between them, which Pearl finally broke with a sigh. “She doesn’t treat me like I’m less capable, for my age or my body or…”

“She sees you how you see yourself, when you’re not looking,” Sapphire replied softly. “And that isn’t something to take lightly. It may not be the affection you want from her, but does that make it worth ruining every moment that you have to share with Greg?”

Pearl inhaled deeply before speaking again. “You can’t make me like him.”

“Only time can. And for how much she cares about you both, and both of you about her, time seems to be in favor of you being able to tolerate him… And at a musical, you don’t even have to talk to him. So, it’ll be that much easier for you to have fun.” Sapphire put a hand on the intern’s shoulder once more, a smile on her face. “So have fun.”


	6. Politics

“Sapphire, look at this,” Lapis called, weeks later, pointing to the TV. “Blanche Berlian’s speech is all about funding for social programs. And she seems to be doing well in the polls.”

“Blanche’s supported us for ages. Even more so after her daughter’s passing,” Rose enlightened, standing behind Lapis’s chair, her gaze on the TV. “Truth be told, the woman can do no wrong. And after her daughter passed, I don’t think she’s had it in her to do anything particularly shocking.”

“Either she’s not really a politician, or she’s a hell of a good one,” Lapis snickered.

Sapphire glanced to her, happy to see the amusement for the first time since the person had arrived. “You’re not wrong,” Sapphire smiled, and made her way to her desk, paperwork in hand.

Very quickly, though, the paperwork was out of hand, and Sapphire was on the floor, Amethyst suddenly lying beside her.

“Sorry, Sapphire,” the teenager chuckled, standing and gathering all the papers she could. She handed them to the lawyer before the two helped each other up.

“Amethyst!” Sapphire smiled genuinely at the sudden reappearance of the teen, “it’s been a long time,” her tone softened and beneath her bangs, her eye grew desperate, “-is everything okay?”

“Heh, yeah. I’m fine. Just wanted to see all you guys. Hey Rose!”

Sapphire couldn’t help but smile at that. Rose had a magnetic quality about her: anyone who had even only just seen her knew it. And Amethyst, like many others, was excited to count the sweet woman as a confidant and caretaker.

“Amethyst, how are you?” Rose smiled benignly, getting up and sharing a hug with the teenager. The thing about Rose, though, was that she didn’t count herself as the naturally motherly type, like others counted her. But she, without a doubt by herself - nor anyone else, was motherly to Amethyst.

“I’m good, guys, really,” Amethyst assured, holding up her hands and laughing.

“Well, then,” Sapphire began again, “how’s sophomore year?”

“It’s school,” Amethyst shrugged, still grinning. “What are you guys doing?”

“I was just going back to work,” Sapphire sighed with a laugh in her throat, showing off her papers.

“I don’t have an appointment until this afternoon, though,” Rose smiled. She scooted over and patted the cushion beside her. “Come on, the news is on.” Amethyst smiled and followed, happily sitting on the couch by the doctor. Lapis watched the teenager with interest before her attention was back on the politician.

—

“Rose,” Amethyst mumbled a few minutes later. Sapphire had retreated back to her office. Amethyst had decided that Lapis truly didn’t give a shit. It was the perfect time. “There’s a tournament going on next Saturday. I can meet you and show you the way there.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Rose replied, quietly and affectionately, smiling at the kid.

“Rose, is G-” Pearl interrupted herself as she approached. “Oh, Amethyst! I didn’t know you were here. Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, it’s good. How’re you, P?”

“I’m well, thank you,” Pearl nodded dutifully and smiled at the three women on the couch before hurrying off to her desk.

Whatever she had wanted to say could wait, it seemed.

—

“I’ve got ten bucks with me if you guys would like to get ice cream or something?” Amethyst mentioned as the Jeopardy’s closing melody played.

“That sounds wonderful,” Rose sighed happily, clasping her hands together briefly, and the two got up. “But it’ll be on me, okay? Lapis, Pearl, do either of you want to come with us?”

Amethyst paused a second before deciding the new lack of confidentiality— security in their trip wasn’t something to take personally: it was just Rose.

“Why not,” Pearl decided, clocking out for lunch. “It is a nice day out.” Amethyst smiled, back on board with the plan completely, even if only for humor’s sake. Of course, P would want to come.

“I’ll pass,” Lapis replied, flipping channels aimlessly.

“Then, can I get you anything?” Rose continued. Lapis shook her head gratefully, then promptly returned to ignoring them. The three decided to make their way out the door.

“Oh, sorry,” a gravelly voice muttered as it entered, bumping shoulders with Amethyst, the last one out the door.

“It’s all good,” Amethyst replied, glancing back to answer the person who entered. Amethyst paused in her tracks, then stared a moment, and the guest stared right back. Quickly, the older woman coughed to signify their meeting had ended, and the two wordlessly parted ways.


	7. Reruns

“Sapphire?” The returning guest asked, looking around the lobby. She fiddled with the small paper bag in her hands, unsure of herself. Her eyes fell to Lapis and she cleared her throat. “‘Scuse me, do you know where I could find Sapphire?”

“She’s in her office, but I wouldn’t go back there unless you really need her,” Lapis warned, “She only uses it when she’s working on a case or something serious like that for one of the others, and can’t be disturbed. She’s got a lot to do and stuff.” Lapis looked the guest up and down a few times as she spoke. Sapphire’s work was important, and this visitor didn’t seem hurt. She could wait, and if she couldn’t, that was her choice.

“Oh,” the fuzzy-haired stranger muttered, “well, then, uh - can I sit with you and wait for her?” Lapis Lazuli’s eyes widened a fraction. She nodded and the person sat a cushion away.

“Jeopardy,” Lapis announced in monotone, gesturing to the screen.

“Is it new?” The guest asked.

“Don’t think so,” Lapis shook her head, “but I’m not sure.”

The red-headed hummed before looking to the bag in her hands. “Hey,” she got Lapis’s attention, “you want one?” She offered the now-open brown paper bag, which was filled with packages of mini-muffins. “A freshman’s mom brought them to baseball practice last night.”

“Sure,” Lapis decided, and the two ate and watched TV in silence, both waiting for Sapphire, both wary of each other.

-

It was an hour before Sapphire left her office, suppressing a yawn. She made her way to the lobby, smiling slightly at the Jeopardy theme, easily heard from down the west hall.

“Hello,” Sapphire said over her shoulder with a smile as she walked to the main desk. Her arms were full, as they usually were, but not so much so that she couldn’t see or handle it. So long as she got the files were on the desk, she supposed, that was organized enough.

“Hey,” Lapis greeted, lightness betraying her typical toneless voice.

“Uh, hi,” came the familiar, high pitched gravel, that Sapphire had been worrying over for weeks.

“It’s you,” Sapphire remarked, she looked up. The guest had jogged closer, ready to take the pile from Sapphire’s arms to help. After the wordless offer, Sapphire nodded gratefully and let her take the papers from her hands. Ruby smiled, putting the stack on the desk carefully. Sapphire smiled softly. “Are you okay? It’s been a while.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” they shrugged with a grin. “I just– you said to come by, even if I just only wanted to. So, I did.”

“Good,” Sapphire laughed lightly. Lapis’s eyes flitted to the lawyer and the laugh she wasn’t used to hearing. “I see you’ve met some of the others who come here,” Sapphire tactfully left Lapis’s name, and how frequently she stayed with them, unsaid.

The guest nodded, understanding the unsaid boundary. “Yeah. I had muffins.” The guest jumped slightly, “I have muffins. Here!” She grabbed a package from the box and tossed it to Sapphire before she could think. She winced at herself. Luckily, Sapphire caught it, and the woman could only remark softly “Nice hands.” She paused a moment before realizing she should explain further, “Sometimes people bring food to practice and I get the leftovers. Thought I should share.”

“That’s really sweet. Thank you,” Sapphire nodded, a soft smile on her face.

“That’s, um, all I really wanted to do,” the person shrugged, an embarrassed smile on her face, as she glanced to a clock. “Practice is– soon, I um. I should go. You can keep what’s left of these. They’re pretty great. You know, how quality muffins in a bag can be.”

“Thank you,” Sapphire laughed again, soft and relaxed in spite of the guest’s mild unease/ Lapis’s eyes went to Sapphire as she bid the guest farewell. “Come by any time.” They nodded, and quickly made their way out the door.

As soon as the door was shut, Lapis turned to her. “You don’t laugh like that.”

"What?”

“Well, no,” Lapis conceded, bringing a hand thoughtfully to her face. “That was how you laugh. It isn’t a pity laugh like you give the kids for their jokes, even though it should’ve been. But, either way, you don’t laugh often, not like that.”

“I think a person I’ve only met a few times coming in with a box of prepackaged mini-muffins has a certain comedic randomness to it, don’t you?” Sapphire shrugged benignly. “There’s something nice about the unexpected – especially when it’s positive for once.”

Lapis hummed, a curious sort of smirk on her face. “Next is final jeopardy for this episode,” she finally said, motioning to the TV.

Sapphire looked at the screen and nodded. “It’s Mrs. Joe.”

“You haven’t even seen the question yet. You’re a soothsayer or something.”

“It’s daytime TV. It’s all reruns.”

“That’s your story.”


	8. Frozen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Major depiction of a panic attack

Eight o'clock, Sapphire noticed. The day had gone quickly. She put the file she’d been reviewing aside, looking at the stack of the remaining. It was nearly taller than she was. There was still so much more to do.

“It’s not all briefs. It’s not all briefs,” she reminded herself.

The Home, currently, housed 400 women and children. It was Sapphire’s goal to house and assist anyone who experienced domestic violence as much as possible. But she could do the math: one of three women experienced domestic violence, and in a town of seven thousand women, she was out of her depth. They would never be able to house every woman in need or find or save the lives of everyone who experienced domestic violence. And that wasn’t even to mention the one of four men who experienced violence– but this was a home specifically for women; the abuse suffered by many made bringing in any gentlemen too great a risk.

The paperwork was atrocious. They survived on donations and what money Sapphire could make from the paying clients she could take on. She was in the middle of an appeal for grants from the state, but there was only so much that could be done while retaining their autonomy. There were bills to pay: dinner, and breakfast, and water, and electric, and heating, and cooling. There were property taxes, and linens, and cleaning supplies, and medical supplies, and all of the locks on all of the cabinets because children were careless and some of these poor women wished they weren’t here anymore. They were severely understaffed, and with her whole being, Sapphire hated asking student interns to do work that taught them nothing, like mopping or making sure everything was locked up at night.

The funds that were donated paid most of what was required, but the paperwork couldn’t be avoided. No matter how hard she tried.

There was so much to do. There were loans, and files, and cases to be organized. There were people she had to see, had to attend to, had to show that she cared for because if they didn’t know, she didn’t know what she’d do. There were so many case files, so much case law, so much work. There were files and bills and PowerPoint presentations to make to help bring in donations and God, were there always those many case briefs? And no matter how hard she worked, no matter what she did, she’d never get it all done. Even if she did, there were millions more people in America alone that she couldn’t help. Billions and billions of people in the world that she could do nothing for, and they were counting on her. People were counting on her; and if she helped them, more people would come to count on her; hell, she was counting on herself, and fuck that’s a lot of paper and how long had she been breathing this fast and what did that matter – because of her there would be people who weren’t breathing at all. If she could just shut the hell up and make a decision and stop acting like such a loser and just make a fucking decision about where to put that damn paperwork–

And she froze.

Her hands had somehow landed at either side of her head, roughly pushing back the hair near her temples and tightening her fists. She shuffled to her chair and sat. Elbows on her knees, tears in her one good eye, and fists still in her hair, she waited.

There was nothing to do but wait it out; wait for her heart to stop pounding, wait for the tears to stop coming, wait until she forgot that waiting was the last thing she should be doing.

Nine o'clock, she noticed. She made herself presentable, picked up a new file, and went to the lobby.

“Have a safe drive home,” she told Pearl and Rose as they passed the front desk on their way out. She paused and looked around, glancing to the file and up to the empty lobby again. The stillness permeated everything, and she reveled in it. This was the most quiet and relaxing the days ever were, here at the shelter. This was the perfect time to just breathe. She turned her gaze to the heavily highlighted paper before her, and started writing.


	9. Chip Mates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You know when you're gay and you wanna make friends with someone you don't realize you're gay for so you do stupid shit to try and be nice? Yeah.  
> Also, I talk about alcoholism and alcohol poisoning in this chapter, rehab is mentioned, shit like that.

“I brought chips this time,” the curly-haired person announced. Lapis glanced up from her drawings and nodded. Two large variety pack boxes were held in the red-haired guest’s arms, and a smile that almost appeared real played on Lapis’s face.

"You got Doritos?" Lapis asked, putting her pen and paper aside. 

"They your favorite?

"Yeah."

"We got cool ranch and nacho cheese."

"Thanks," Lapis monotoned. They brought the boxes over and let Lapis fish a bag out.

"Is Sapphire around?" the guest asked, looking around almost anxiously.

"Rhodonite, one of the ladies here, got sick last night. Sapphire's probably talking to her or helping clean up." 

"Oh, shit," they muttered. "Is she okay now?"

"Who knows?" Lapis shrugged. "They keep stuff as quiet as they can. I just hear things because, you know, it’s quiet.”

"Sucks," the guest muttered, her eyes glancing to the boxes in her arms. "Don't suppose anything I can bring in will help anyone very much."

"That depends," Rose chimed in as she came into the lobby. She was still rubbing in the hand sanitizer, poised and tired. "Monetary donations help, of course. But sometimes odd little things can boost morale around here."

"You make it sound like it’s a pirate ship," they chuckled, offering some to the doctor. 

"Why not," Rose laughed outright, taking a bag for herself. "It can be a bit of a rough-and-tumble group from time to time."

"Are we all the scallywags then?" Lapis breathed deeply in amusement. 

"Of course. Sapphire, the fearless pirate Captain, with her first mate Doctor--"

Rose chuckled, her smile faltering for a moment before she realized and responded, "Rose, dear."

"Arr, that be a fine name for a first mate. And, of course, you," she smiled at Lapis, whose name they knew they couldn’t know, "her mighty reliable second.. You guys should have hats and everything." 

"Nothing more welcoming than safe house and pirate talk," Lapis smirked. One again, Rose laughed outright, and fluffed her hair in an attempt to stop herself.  
“A pirate ship might be more fitting than you know,” Rose finally sighed, and put her hair up mindfully. “You should tell Sapphire about this when you see her.” Coincidentally, that was when Sapphire stalked across the back of the room, unusually stoic - even for her. “Oh, Sapphire, listen to this--” -- we were talking and-” she began to laugh, “Ru- really, it’s funny, they compared us to a pirate ship. You’re the captain.”  
Sapphire hardly looked up. “I suppose it is ironic. Rose, you’re needed in the office. Pearl will keep you informed.” She continued her route towards her office, and practically disappeared with the speed at which she went.  
“Is she okay?” the curly-haired guest asked. She sat down beside Lapis, a cushion apart as always.  
Rose shook her head. “She’s just, busy. I have to get going. Stay as long as you need.”  
As soon as Rose was out of sight, things felt far tenser than they had before. Any comedic ability had left the guest, and any ability to chuckle out of pity had left Lapis. The guest cleared her throat after a moment. “I guess I’ll go. See you around. Hope it all works out.”  
“Yep,” Lapis answered, and waved slightly as the guest left, then returned to her notebook.  
-  
"This can't be happening," Sapphire muttered. She turned angrily to their single-camera security system, grey and fuzzing on the monitor. "This isn't working." She picked up financial reports from the last six years, reading through them all carefully. "It was cooking wine -- it wasn’t even good wine," her voice grew shrill as she grumbled to herself. She found a document of interest and read it briskly. She let it fall to the side, and breathed, sitting down finally, "everything depends on it." Her hands went in her hair again, screwing her eyes shut as the chain of events began unfurling in her mind.   
She finally reined herself in upon hearing a knock at her office door. She unclenched her hands, wincing at the strands of hair around her knuckles, that she hadn't meant to pull out. Quickly, she wiped her hands free of the hair, took a deep breath, and opened the door.  
"Miss Sapphire?" Pearl asked, her voice a tone softer than it typically was. "What just happened?"  
Sapphire took a deep breath and led Pearl to the chair she kept opposite her desk. "What have you heard?"  
"That Rhodonite is going to the hospital, and the cook was fired," Pearl answered slowly. "Why?"  
"I made a mistake in the ... Specifics of her employment," Sapphire replied, folding her hands in front of her. She made her inflection dull, hoping she would convince Pearl that she was not impacted emotionally by the day. "She went against some policies that we have here -- for the safety and comfort of our residents, and the many programs offered here."  
"I don't understand," Pearl asked, her hands in her lap. Sapphire breathed deeply and stood, maintaining her composure as she always did.  
"In the past, we had allowed our cook to purchase ingredients with a small, allotted budget and closely monitored receipts. We’ve allowed her to purchase cooking wine, with several restrictions in place, initially. But I grew lax. She felt it necessary to sell alcohol, on the premises, to our residents." Sapphire's tone was even, her breathing was natural, as if she weren't upset at all. "I made a mistake in overlooking possession and sale of marijuana from twenty-some years ago."  
"Is she why Rhodonite..?"  
"Yes," Sapphire replied coolly. "And she has admitted to having sold stolen goods to others as well.”  
"Oh, stars... But... What does that have to do with funding? It's an internal matter, isn't it?"  
"It would be if Rhodonite hadn’t contracted alcohol poisoning last night. She had been apparently collecting it, but maintaining her rehab program until yesterday, where she relapsed.”  
"Oh my--” Pearl thoughtfully touched the underside of her nose. “Will she be okay?”  
“Hopefully.”  
“What does that mean for us?”  
“We are in violation of the private funding contract which was made between the home and Governor Berlian as well as our contractual obligations to BC State Rehabilitation Center, and contractually, I am obligated to report it to both. I will be writing to Berlian and assuring her that this is an isolated incident, and remind her that I immediately fired the culprit. It's most likely that she will agree, and we will likely update the contract to require that we have absolutely no alcohol on the premises, but at this point, anything could happen."  
"That's all you can do? You're a lawyer, aren't you?"  
Sapphire's voice and countenance instantly turned to ice and she stood up slowly. "I helped create the contract very simply, without loopholes or unnecessary conditions, because I did not believe that they would be necessary." Sapphire quickly sat down, and refolded her hands. "Have I answered all of your questions?"  
Pearl thought a moment before nodding, slightly intimidated by the lawyer's stern stoicism. She made her exit with a few pleasantries, and shut the door behind her with a click.  
Sapphire rested her chin on her right hand, and her left deftly hid beneath thick bangs, pressing to her eye. "It isn't over yet," she decided slowly. "I can overthink it when it's over." She grabbed the reports once more, and began drafting her letter to their main benefactor.   
"Dear Governor Berlian,  
I can explain."


	10. Sport

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I want yall to know I rewrote the fight scene in this multiple times and it was so stupid before but now it's moderately better? I couldn't stop laughing tbh.

“So, this is your sport, huh?” Rose asked, following Amethyst, covered in purple body paint, through the back door of the warehouse.   
“If that’s what you want to call it,” Amethyst shrugged. “It’s where I get money. It is kinda fun, though. There," she pointed through a short walkway, where light flooded from what was once the main storage area. "You can watch from there. Just say the Purple Puma brought you."  
"I feel like I've got connections with a celebrity," Rose joked, hugging Amethyst good luck.  
"Heh, wouldn't go that far," she shrugged, sending the older woman to the audience. "I'll see you in a sec. It's tag team night, so it'll be a little bit." She gave a toothy grin, her eye squinting in her contentment. "Thanks, Rose."  
"You're going to be wonderful," Rose replied gently, making her leave. She found a chair in the second row, feeling fairly out of place among the teenagers and gruff wrestling enthusiasts who surrounded her.   
"Do you like the Purple Puma?" She asked the blonde woman who wore a donut shirt, sitting beside her.   
"Huh? Oh, yeah. They're wild," the girl laughed softly. "Do you know them?"  
Rose nodded, "we go a way back. I've known the ... Puma since they were a kid."  
"Heh, that's cool," the blonde replied, smiling. "I actually helped them find the Eternal Flame. You know, the tag team stuff." Rose and the blonde girl shared a smile, a secret that the two women knew must be left unsaid.  
"Who's ready for a braaaaawwwwwwl?" Came the voice of an announcer over a poorly managed sound system. "It's taaaaaaag team night, babies-- and first up, we have tonight's challengers-- the Repoooooorrrrrrrters! That's right! We've got the Gaaaaaaaazzettte-Killer! An Agatha Christie novel gone even sourer! The G.K. has conquered over thirty wrestlers on their way to the top. But they didn't do it alone-- of course they had their partner in criiiiime: the Daiiiiiiilllly Strangleeeeer!! Superman would be jealous of this paper, and those guns! Look at him go! Let's hear it for them!"   
Rose looked around and the multitude of fans, stomping and shouting. It reminded her of the half-time of a hockey game, where Greg’s band had once played -- although that may have been prompted more by the thick scent of booze.  
"And now, your returning champs! The heat, and the heart of the South American jungle-- that's right! The EEeeeternal Flame and the Purple Puuuuuma!! Champions for the past eight months straight-- give it up for them!" The announcer seemed to chuckle as a flurry of boos and cheers filled the air. "These fellas are rougher than imaginable! Cruel as snakes! And short as all hell, too, look at them."   
From the spot on stage, Rose saw Amethyst's partner punch her hand into her fist, eyes aimed at the announcer. An awkward cough resonated throughout the ring, "just a more compact space to fit all that muscle, right fellas? ...Alright, let's get it started! Now, you boys know the rules-- what're the rules, huh?" He directed at the audience.   
"Hundred percent fighting, fifty percent fair!" Came the reply, in a disjointed series of voices. Rose took a moment to be worried by the well-known laws of this land, but found herself watching the Eternal Flame. Though their skin was painted red, their dark red curly hair wasn’t one Rose was likely to forget. She looked at the fighter’s hands, and knew for certain it was the same person who’d been so frequently at the shelter. She could never forget that face, though a mask now obscured part of it.  
"That's right! Nothing below the belt, but the rest is faiiiiir game. We set, boys?... Begin!"  
The Gazette Killer and the Daily Strangler stepped forward, both hunched forward in a threatening gait. "Alright short stacks, time you guys go all the way to the ground."  
"Imagine that, another height jab," came the Eternal Flame's quiet and gravelly comment, pointed at Amethyst.   
"I’d say that’s pretty low blow, guys," Amethyst replied at their opponents, her own voice made lower and more gravelly in the ring. “Almost hurt our feelings.”  
"Enough talk," someone shouted from the audience, and Rose couldn't help but chuckle at the seriousness some of these spectators seemed to have. The four nodded at each other and jumped.  
A punch to the throat, a kick to the shin, the champions were already ahead. The Reporters each made a few cheap shots, catching the Flame in the side of the head, and Amethyst in the stomach. The Strangler reached out of the ring, grabbing a chair and hurling it at Amethyst. At the last minute, it seemed, the Flame was between them, grabbing the chair and stopping its journey through the air. Amethyst ducked under the Flame's arms and planted an elbow to the Strangler's face, while the Flame quickly turned and used the chair to her own advantage as she fought with the Gazette.   
It was a sort of dance, Rose decided, watching intently. And both seemed to have a great deal of grace. The Flame, she noticed, had more endurance, or at least, was able to lessen the impact of most hits with a well-timed punch of her own. Amethyst was ferocious when the Flame was deterring their opponents for her, often using whatever pose the Flame landed in to give herself the element of surprise as she jumped up to attack. As soon as both were in offensive stances, they were equals in ferocity and passion.  
As Rose watched, she noticed that Amethyst was hardly being hit. The Flame was almost always on the defensive, protecting the Puma in an almost-calculated way. As if it were down to a science.   
"Oh no, they done it now," came the announcer's voice, after the Flame was pushed into the ropes. "There it is, folks -- their signature: the South American Table Flip."  
"Hey, reporturds," Amethyst called out, grinning cunningly. She had a flare for the dramatic, Rose decided. "You're going down!"  
The Flame ducked to the outside of the ring, facing in, her fists latched onto the rope. Rose saw a small trickle of blood from the girl's hands.The wrestler started swinging roughly on the thick cords and Amethyst bounded up to her, jumping on the Flame's knees which were suddenly in the ring, and flipping herself off of them backwards. The force of it sent the Flame to the floor, although they appeared to be silently cheering as they watched Amethyst tackle the two foes into the ground with the force of the fall.   
The Eternal Flame was immediately up and pinning the opponents to the ground with certainty, smirking from beneath the mask as the Reporters were counted out. With a gravelly chuckle, the Flame nodded at Amethyst, punching knuckles as the bell chimed their victory.  
-  
"You were great!" Rose exclaimed against the noise, approaching the backstage door where Amethyst was waiting as the ring was cleaned up from the tag team battle. Behind her, the Eternal Flame's eyes widened.  
"Thanks, Rose," Amethyst replied quietly, a proud smile on her face. "It means a lot that you came."  
Rose gave her a genuine smile, holding out her hand lightly. "It means a lot that you let me. Now. Let me help clean those scrapes up."  
"Uh, Puma, can we talk first?" The Eternal Flame interrupted, putting her bleeding hand gently on Amethyst's shoulder. "I can take care of the Puma, Miss, if you'll just--" The Flame tilted her head through their backstage door and Amethyst, albeit confusedly, followed.  
"I'll be here, then," Rose smiled, watching curiously as the door shut after them.  
-  
"You brought her here?" The Eternal Flame asked as soon as she was sure they were out of anyone's earshot.  
"What's the big deal? She's my friend." Amethyst retorted, pulling off her mask.  
The Flame groaned, pulling off her mask in turn, releasing her thick curls. "People like us fighting in a league like this isn't necessarily legal. Especially not a high schooler like you-- I'm an adult, I'm supposed to be encouraging you to do exactly not this."  
"She won't tell anyone, Ruby, so I still don't see what the big deal is." Ruby gritted her teeth, running her hands through her sweaty curls. "I trust her," Amethyst finally added.  
"She's with them."  
"Them?"  
"You know. The shelter. The people who have to report minors like you getting hurt to the police."  
"She wouldn't do that," Amethyst defended, her voice cracking slightly. "I talked to her. She's okay with it, Rube."  
"I still don't like it," Ruby murmured. "I don't like lying, Amethyst."  
"So why should we lie? She's fine. Let's just tell her the truth and get it over with."  
Ruby's arms immediately went to her hips. "If you want to throw everything away, be my guest. But I need this."  
"We're not throwing anything away!" Amethyst yelled, crossing her arms. "We're still a team, and you're going to get your money: so stop whining, and let's just talk to her."  
Ruby's eyes were narrowed and her stance defensive. "Fine," she finally conceded, before sighing lightly. "I do want what's best for you, Amethyst. You know that, right?"  
"Yeah," Amethyst nodded, "I get it."   
Ruby sighed, bowing her head slightly. "Let's get on with it then."  
-  
"You looked pretty great out there," Rose complimented, examining Amethyst's face once more, just to be sure the Eternal Flame had properly patched her up.  
"Thanks!" Amethyst grinned, and Ruby smiled to herself. The kid was adorable, like a little sister to her. It was second nature to care for the girl; but it was nice to see someone else caring for her too, for a change.  
"And we've met before, right, Miss Eternal Flame?" Rose cautiously asked, patting Amethyst's knee to let her hop down from the counter.   
"Not sure," Ruby muttered, her eyes falling down. She shrugged to steer the conversation from her, wrapping her left hand tightly with medical tape.   
"That's not right--" Rose interrupted her, taking the tape from her hands.  
"What d'you mean?" Ruby snapped, defensive immediately.   
"You should be using gauze on your palm. Not just tape. You'll only hurt your hands worse." Rose undid the tight bandaging that Ruby had attempted. The Flame's face was flushed, and she turned away slightly. "May I?" Rose asked gently.  
"Yeah, sure, whatever."  
Rose smiled and grabbed some supplies from the small first aid kit that she brought in her bag. "It may sting some," she admitted, showing Ruby the antiseptic.  
"Fine," came Ruby's short reply. Amethyst was watching the two interact, with nothing short of her old childish wonder on her face. Ruby held back a curse, noticing that Amethyst was watching the exchange. She flexed her right hand as the liquid mixed with her blood. In only a few moments, her hands were wiped clean and covered in gauze and bandages properly. "Thanks."  
"You're welcome," Rose happily replied. "Did you catch all that I did, Amethyst?"  
"Yeah! Tonight was awesome, wasn't it, Rubix Cube?"  
"Rubix Cube?" Rose chuckled slightly, her focus turning again to the flushing red girl.  
"It's the Eternal Flame," Ruby growled through gritted teeth, and Amethyst winced slightly.   
"Sorry... Flame," Amethyst shrugged. "It was a slip."  
"I got it," Ruby replied, turning away again. "It's fine."  
"Well, Eternal Flame," Rose smiled, making sure Ruby saw that she had recognized her hair, eyes, voice, and wounds with a long look, "your secret is safe with me." Ruby studied her cautiously for a moment, before her focus turned again to Amethyst. "I look forward to watching you again at your next match," Rose added with an air of finality. Amethyst jumped forward and hugged her middle, and Rose returned the affectionate display. Ruby looked aside, their arms folded in front of them.  
Amethyst led the tall women out the way she had come, talking in hushed tones with her about when they would next meet.  
"Well," Ruby huffed when Amethyst returned, before her face grew into a grin. "Let's go get what we won."  
"I think I saw some more lotto tickets in the pot," Amethyst mentioned off-handedly.  
"Fuck, I hope not," Ruby nearly shuddered. "I already fight these six-foot, bird-brained mothers-- we take enough chances as it is." Amethyst snorted and hopped ahead, leading Ruby to the divvy room. Ruby held back a smile. That doctor lady had really brightened up Amethyst's whole day. It was a nearly calming idea, and it made Ruby's chest rise and fall easier than it had in months.


	11. Blanche

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sapphire doesn't lose funding! Yay!   
> Ruby gets insurance! Yay!

Sapphire snapped up out of her daze and picked up her phone at the short buzz. "I'll be there in a second," she replied to Pearl, instantly becoming more alert. Miss Sharp, who lived in room 8, would have her suit in -- Sapphire looked at her watch -- four hours. God, was it already five? The judge was Houston, an old hot shot misogynist. But with all of the damage that the poor woman's ex-husband had done, all the evidence and case law Sapphire had compiled, he would be sentenced by the end of the day.  
She stood, stretched, and gathered her papers. It would all work out, Sapphire decided. She rubbed her eye with the apple of her palm, and held back a yawn before heading out.  
"Is something going on, Pearl?" Sapphire asked, setting her files on the counter for a moment.  
"You got a phone call last night," Pearl began. Sapphire recalled: she hadn't recognized the number, and it was nearing midnight at the time, so she'd continued working and let it ring. "It was from Governor Berlian. She wanted to meet with you today."  
"Oh," Sapphire breathed and thought about her schedule for a moment. "Text me the number; I'll make the call on my way to the courthouse. Make sure Miss Sharp is there at eight thirty on the dot. Or early. Early might be better."  
"I can do that," Pearl replied, and Sapphire ignored the way the intern’s eyes trailed Rose who chose that moment to make her entrance.  
"Good. So, you'll text me Berlian’s number, and send Sharp to the courthouse at eight."  
"Yes," Pearl repeated, her tone growing slightly exasperated as her focus returned to the lawyer. She held up her phone. "I'll send you the number right now."  
"Wonderful."  
-  
"Thank you so much for meeting with me on such short notice."  
"Of course, dear." The Governor was a tall woman, towering over Sapphire, who was -- in her defense -- shorter than almost everybody. Berlian's voice had the type of harsh timbre of someone trying too hard to look gentle. Sapphire had known it to really ring out - be nearly terrifying, honestly, in debates, but that was infrequent, especially now that she already held her position. "I appreciate your getting back so quickly to me.” Sarcasm. “I didn't realize the time until after I left the voicemail." That seemed genuine enough.  
"Sometimes time gets away from us. I really do understand." Sapphire organized her papers for the trial, and turned her full attention to the politician. "I hope it wasn't inconvenient to ask that we meet here. The court rooms aren't often in use until eight."  
"Of course," the governor repeated and Sapphire felt herself grow nervous. "I wished to talk with you regarding funding and the ... Recent events."  
"I understand. Please, know that I immediately fired our cook upon finding that she was behaving inappropriately," Sapphire quickly informed. “And, Rhodonite is getting better.”  
"I'm aware." The governor spoke lowly, but still her words were scathingly severe. "But the details of the contract were made clear when we arranged it."  
"Yes, and I am extremely grateful that you've been so generous to us over the years. This was an oversight on my part, and I take full responsibility for this... Violation of our agreement. Is there any way we coul-"  
"Could remake the contract? Where the money I give you continues to be given to you, in spite of these errors which were entirely preventable?" Sapphire held her breath for a moment, trying to remind herself that she was an adult, that she was not anything less than this woman who towered above her. The governor watched her closely before her violent expression melted to a fake smile. "Because I think that can be arranged."   
Sapphire was a master at stoicism, as anyone could tell you. She was often able to temper what even she felt, beyond what she expressed. But in that moment, whether it was fear, relief, or the lack of sleep, Sapphire swore she could faint or cry.  
"Thank you very much. Do you think we could --"  
"We'll use the previous copy as our model and build in some more conditions from there." Sapphire nodded, grabbing a clean legal pad and pen. "Now, let's discuss by how much funding will need to be cut for this particular infraction." Sapphire's mouth went dry, but she nodded. At least it wouldn't be cut altogether.  
-  
"Hey," Ruby greeted as Sapphire opened the door for her. It was raining and the guest was soaked through to the bone.   
"Good evening," Sapphire smiled lightly, and locked the door behind her. "Are you alright?" Ruby stretched, poorly hiding the fact that she didn’t want Sapphire to see her wrists.  
"Yeah, I just, y'know, wanted to get out of the rain." They both glanced out the window. "You okay? I know stuff's been stressful around here lately."  
"Who told you that?" Sapphire returned, leading them down the corridor to the laundry room.   
"One of the girls here-- the tall one,” the guest replied. Sapphire nodded sagely and grabbed two towels from one of the many dryers.   
"I think I have something that'll fit you. Hold on," Sapphire muttered before searching through a series of shelves at her rig. “How about this?” Sapphire asked, holding up a navy blue shirt and grey sweatpants.   
“Looks great,” Ruby smiled brightly, and snagged the clothes from her hand. Sapphire politely led her to the restroom and waited outside. In mere moments, Ruby was out and pulling on the shirt that was a few sizes too big. She tucked the bottom into her pants and -- both of them froze at the sound of a scream.  
Ruby ran towards it, forgetting the caution they usually felt in the shelter. It took a few moments for Sapphire to realize what was happening, but she almost instantly caught up with Ruby, just in time for them both to land in front of Room 8.   
“Miss Sharp,” Sapphire asked, knocking gently on the door. “Can I come in?” The only response was a short whimper from the other side of the door, which Sapphire took as consent. She opened the door wide but motioned for the guest to stay in the hall. “What’s wrong?” Sapphire asked, Ruby staying awkwardly still.  
“I swear I saw him,” Sharp muttered, “outside the window.”   
Before Sapphire could calm, investigate, or anything, the guest was jogging away towards the main entrance. Sapphire looked over her shoulder, but decided that the guest had probably decided it was more important to sit and wait while Sapphire handled this. “Okay, what exactly did you see?”  
-  
“Hey, you can’t be here!” Ruby called at a tall hooded figure, crouched below the window to room 8. “Why are you here?”  
The hooded figure jumped up, and Ruby heard Sapphire and Sharp’s screams from inside. Taking the fact that the figure was starting to run away as a clue, Ruby quickly tackled him to the ground.   
-  
Just as Sapphire was about to close the blinds, the figure of Miss Sharp’s ex-husband, who was just earlier today given a two year prison sentence and a five year restraining order, jumped up from below the window. The two women screamed in shock, and Miss Sharp exclaimed, “that’s him!”  
“I’ll call the police,” Sapphire narrated, fumbling with her cell phone, and suddenly a much shorter figure rushed past the window, and Sapphire’s eye widened in shock. “What the fuck?” she whispered, but continued dialing BCPD.   
-  
The police arrived after a twenty minute fight. Both Ruby and Miss Sharp’s ex were soaked to the bone and bloody. “No, I was getting him-” Ruby tried to reason, but her dark skin and curled hair kept the police from taking her word for it. “Call out Sapphire, she’ll vouch for me.” The police officers shrugged and the shorter of the two went to knock on the door. The taller officer had shoved Ruby’s handcuffed opponent into the car, recognizing him as the guy who’d escaped the county jail only hours ago, and was going to be moved to the state prison in the morning. Ruby, though, had her hands cuffed in front of her and her shoulders held by the cop.  
Sapphire followed the shorter officer out, looked at Ruby and nodded quickly. Ruby couldn’t hear all she said, but smiled at the cop holding her shoulders smuggly. “See!” The shorter officer signaled, and Ruby was released. “Thanks for getting that guy,” Ruby motioned to the cop car. “But you guys owe me one for taking him down.”  
“We do not.” Said the tall cop shortly, and shut the car door after himself firmly. Ruby shrugged, and jogged back to Sapphire and the shelter.  
“Thanks for picking me out of the line-up,” Ruby joked, invigorated after the fight.   
“Ruby, what the fuck?” Sapphire whispered, handing a towel to the bloodied guest.  
Ruby ignored her, and stretched out. “You guys need a fence or some shit. Like, who’s head of security here? Kinda doing a shit job.”  
“I’m-” Sapphire paused for a moment, and covered her heart with one hand. “You are now head of security, if you’d like the job.”  
“You guys didn’t have one before?” Ruby pushed. “You’re a shelter for battered minorities. You didn’t have security?”  
“Let’s think about the future,” Sapphire calmly decided. “Would you like the job?”  
“Um,” Ruby rubbed at her face with the towel. “Okay, sure.”  
“Perfect. I’ll grab some of our employment forms for you.” Sapphire reached behind the desk and handed Ruby several forms. “You’ll have to have a full background check, fill those out for insurance purposes-”  
“Dude, wait, I get insurance?”  
“Yes, now, take as much time as you need to fill these out. I’ll want you primarily working evenings and nights, and some odd cases during the day. If you give me until tomorrow, I can come up with some starting points for wage negotiations - there’s been too much excitement tonight, don’t you think? As soon as this background check goes through, I’d love for you to start. Sound good?”  
“Uh, yeah. Sure. Thanks, Sapphire.” Ruby grabbed a pen and started filling out the forms. “Why are you doing this?”  
“I don’t know how that man found this place, but the fact that he did is very troubling to me,” Sapphire pushed her hair back and Ruby got a good look at the bright blue eye she revealed, and they shared a moment of complete understanding. They had to act. They didn’t know how, but they knew, somehow, they would do it better together.   
“Well, if you’re hiring, I guess you should know-” the guest rocked back and forth on their feet and stuck a hand out. “Ruby Stone. I’m excited to get to work with you.”


End file.
